Teachers have hailed the success of this year's GO ROBOT teachers' training program, which resulted in more than 500 teachers from around 200 schools learning how to use robotics in their classrooms. The GO ROBOT program aims to boost student interest in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), by focusing on teacher professional development, student robotics competitions and investment in school robotics kits. A key aim of the program is to help increase the number of students who choose science tracks at school or technical and engineering degrees at university.
The school robotics program 'GO ROBOT' has been running since 2012 as a partnership between College of the North Atlantic-Qatar and Maersk Oil Qatar, supported by the Supreme Education Council and Qatar Petroleum. Part of the program sees teachers undergo a series of professional training courses of up to 30 hours each covering different topics on robot programming and construction. These skills and knowledge, together with free robotics kits provided as part of the program, are then taken into classrooms or after school clubs where student teams prepare to compete in national and international competitions including the Qatar National Robot Olympiad and the World Robot Olympiad Finals.
Adel Ali, a teacher at the Salah Al Deen Preparatory School in Doha, said: "I found the field to be very interesting and courses to be beneficial because they added a lot of value to me as a teacher and improved my teaching practices. I also found them to have a positive impact on students as they have shown curiosity in the new learning techniques and in the subjects taught. We have three teams participating in this year's National Robotics Olympiad competition in October. "
Sheikh Faisal Al-Thani, Deputy Managing Director of Maersk Oil Qatar commented: "Qatar's oil and gas sector will continue to drive our nation's growth and development for many decades to come. It is imperative that we encourage students to pursue technical disciplines at an early age if we are to meet the future demand for highly qualified industry specialists. By engaging with students while they are young, and increasing their interest in STEM disciplines, we aim to increase the number of high quality graduates entering our industry".
Recent research suggests that robots tie into a variety of disciplines, and can be integrated into many subject areas, making a huge impact on student attitudes towards STEM. The research shows that students who participate in robotics programs show a greater interest in technology and have increased technology skills. In addition, it was found that exposure to robotics programs at an early age can help a student become a technically skilled adult.
"Introducing students to the program, particularly at an early age, is a proactive step in promoting science and technology literacy. By implementing the GO ROBOT program, this creates many learning opportunities for students as they are given the chance to put their theory into practice. Consequently, this stimulates their interest in science related fields, and develops a more positive attitude towards STEM education", said Mazen Noueihed, a teacher at Qatar Academy.
Dr. Ken MacLeod, President of College of the North Atlantic-Qatar, said: "It is fantastic to see such great enthusiasm and involvement from teachers. They are taking what they have learned in the
professional development courses offered at the College of the North Atlantic - Qatar and applying it in classrooms across the country to boost student interest in STEM related subjects. We hope that as many teachers as possible take this training as it clearly has an extremely positive impact on both teachers and students".
Furthermore, a solid body of research abroad points to an improvement in the attitudes of girls towards science and technology when exposed to robotics programs. Robotics used in the classroom encourages girls to problem solve, be creative, and consider STEM career options. It also increases their self-confidence when they learn with robots since they become more engaged.
Commenting on this issue, a teacher at Barzan Preparatory Independent Girls School said: "We implement the program as an afterschool activity as it isn't part of the curriculum yet. Many girls enjoy taking part in the program, and we have two teams taking part in the National Robotics Olympiad this year. The students were able to enhance their communication skills, and improve their presentation abilities. They also learned several important lessons and demonstrated it sparked their interest in subjects such as science and mathematics."
-Ends-
© Press Release 2014